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Tips from Kensington historical romance authors on how to throw a historical party of your own this holiday season…

Victoria Alexandra, author of What Happens at Christmas: For the perfect Charles Dickens Victorian holiday party, be sure to decorate with lots and lots of evergreens, especially holly, ivy and, of course, mistletoe. Then replace your eccentric family with actors, throw in an old boyfriend to make things nicely awkward and, oh yes, include a few fake orphans for just the right touch of chaos.

Vanessa Kelly, author of His Mistletoe Bride: When planning a Christmas party, be sure to arrange for the Waits to come and sing for your guests. These merry groups of villagers go from house to house to regale the locals with Christmas carols, and to share in the cheer of the wassail bowl. Do not, however, allow them to partake of the wassail bowl before they sing, or you might end up with regrettably drunken performers.

Theresa Romain, author of Season for Surrender: To ensure a lucky year ahead for your Regency New Year’s party guests, invite a dark-haired man to show up right after midnight. The “qualtagh” or “first-foot”–the first person who enters your house in the New Year–indicates what kind of year it’ll be. And a dark-haired man is the luckiest sort of qualtagh. (The reasons why have been lost to history, but a fan of romance can probably think of a few.)